Control signal device for toy electric railroads



Feb. 6, 1923.

' I A. FROHNE.

coumoL SIGNAL DEVICE FOR TOY ELECTRIC RAILROADS.

FILED AUG. 18 L921 Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBIN FROHNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO AIEEEIOALT FLYER MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONTROL SIGNAL DEVICE FOR TOY ELECTRIC RAILEOADS.

Application filed August 18, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBIN Fnonnn, a citizen of Germany (having declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States), residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Signal Devices for Toy Electric Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with certain improvements in control signal devices for toy electric railroads and the like. The device to which the present invention relates is intended particularly for automatically controlling the electric switch 051"; the toy locomotive or motor car so as to control the delivery of current thereto.

More particularly the. present invention relates to a device which is mounted on the track in proper position to operate the switch on the locomotive or car as said 10- comotive or car passes the control point, to thereby either shut oil the current or to reverse the connections and cause the locomotive or car to reverse the direction of travel.

Still more particularly the present invention relates to a device of this kind which may be attached to the track at any desired point by a very simple operation, and which may be removed and. reattached at another .point without. difiiculty. 7

Still more particularly the invention relates to a control signal device of such construction that the contact portion or mem her maybe turned down .into the inooerative position, in which position it wil not interfere with the switch devices carried by the traveling locomotive or car. In this connection also, another object is to provide a device oi' such construction that a suitable signal may he readily mounted upon or constitute a portion of the control device so as to simulate the signaling devices used in actual service.

Another object of the invention is to form the control signal device from sheet metal which may be readily stamped out into the desired form; and in this connection, to so construct the device that it may be made very cheaply and from a minimum number of parts.

Other objects and usesof the invention will appear from a detailed description of the same, which consists in the features of Serial No. 493,345.

construction and combinations. of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the operating mechanism of a toy electric locomotive mounted upon a toy track, to which track has been applied a control signal device embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the control signal on enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 shows an end view corresponding to Fig. 1, the contact and signal member being shown in its raised or operative position by full lines and in'its lowered or inoperative position by dotted lines.

The operating mechanism of the car or locomotive designated in its entirety by the numeral It is provided with the wheels 6 traveling on the rails 7 and 8. A third electric rail 9 is provided, the locomotive or car having a contacting device 10 which travels on said rail.

The locomotive carries a switch device designated in its entirety by the numeral 11. This switch device may be of any one of number of different forms, the device illustrated including the contact leaves 12, IlB'and 14;, which are operated by a plug 15 of suitable insulatingmaterial. Said plug 15 is in turn carried by the shaft 16 which is journaled in the side plates 17 and 18, said shaft having on its ends the operating fingers l9 and 20 respectively. These operating lingers are so located and con structed that as the car or locomotive travels along the'rails, one or the other of them may be engagedby a suitable control device so as to roclrthe shaft 16 and thus bring the electric contacts into a new position. The present invention relates particularly to this control signal device.

The control signal device is designated in its entirety by the numeral 21. It comprises a base plate 22 having a foot mem ber 93 which is adapted to seat under one of the running rails such as 7, said footmember having the hook lips 24 and 25 which engage the inside edge or the base the rail. The foot member 23 also carries an upstanding lug 26 its outer edge, within which upstanding lug is located a set screw 27 which is adapted to engage the outside race of the web of the running rail. In this way, the foot member is rigidly attached to the running rail. In order to reinforce the foot member and prevent any oscillation thereof the base member '21 is also provided with a lug 28 which reaches across beneath the third rail, said lug hav ing a hook projection 29 on its extreme end for engagement with the edge of the base of the other running rail. The distance between the hooks 24 and 25 and the hook 29 should be the same as the gauge of the track, so that all of said hooks will engage their respective rails simultaneously when the set screw is tightened up.

At iftscnds, the foot member 23 is pro vided with the upstanding lugs 30 and 31 between which is pivoted the control signal plate 82. This plate is provided with the end pins 33 and 34 which are journaled in the lugs 30and 31 respectively, so thatthe control-signal'plate 32 maybe rocked be tween the operative and inoperative positions.

Ordinarily, the operative position is vertical as shown in Fig. 2. In order to prevent the control signal plate from being turned too far back into a position which it. may interfere with the proper travel of the car or locomotive, I provide it with an inwardly projecting lug 35 whichwill engage the foot plate '23 as soon as it reaches the desired operative position so as to limit fur- I t'her movement in that direction. This result may, also be accomplished by a lug 35 which extends upwards from the edge of the position. If desired, the lug 35 may also be made of proper size to strike the lower surface of the control signal plate when it is turned down into the horizontal position, so as to limit its movement in that direction as shown in Fig. 3.

I have shown the control signal plate 32 as being provided with an outwardly projecting lug 36 on one end. This lug may carry a suitable signal 37,"or the lug itself maybe made of peculiar shape so as to inc icate by its form a desired signal.

The control signal device shown in Fig. 1, is'intended to operate the switch when the car is traveling. towards the right in said figure, that is inthe direction of the arrow. Therefore, the left hand end of the control. signal plate 32 is provided with an abrupt. upper corner, so as to ensure proper operation of the switch finger 19. On the other hand when the car afterwards goes back in the other direction, the finger 19 will have been raised into a substantially horizontal position and should pass over the top of the control signal plate 32 without interference. For this reason, I have shown the trailing upper corner 88 of the controlfsig nal plate as being curved or provided with a gradual slope, so that it perchance the finger 19 should strike said corner it will slide over and not jam on the plate.

While I have herein shown and described only certain embodiments of the features of my present invention, still I do not limit myself to said embodiments except as I may do so in the claims.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a control signal device for toy electric railroads comprising in combination an integral base member oi generally L-shape, the horizontal arm of the L whereof constitutes a footmember adapted to occupy a position beneath the running rail and the stem of which E. is adapted to reach across the track beneath both running rails thereof, an upstanding car on each end of the foot member, a pair of hook ears on the inner edge of the foot member adapted to engage the inner edge of the base of a running rail, a hook car on the end of the stem of the L adapted toengage the outer edge of the baseof' the opposite running rail, an upstanding car on the outer edge of the foot member, a set screw extending through said ear, a control signal plate pivoted between'the two ears first mentioned, a lug onthe lower edge of said plate adapted to engage the top of the foot plate to limit the upward turning: of the control signal plate, an upstanding lug on the outer edge of the foot plate adapted-to limit the downward turning of the control signal plate, and a signal element on one end of 1 00 thecontrol signal. plate at right angles to the length of said plate, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture,a control signal device for toy electric railroads comprising in combination a base member of generally 'L-shape, the horizontal a rm 'of the L whereof constitutes a foot member adapted to occupy a position beneath the running rail and the stem of which 'L is, adapted to reach across the track beneath both running rails thereof, an upstanding ear on each end of the foot member, a pair of hook ears on the inneredge of the foot member adapted to engage the inner edge 11 5 of the base of a running rail, a hook ear on the end of the stem of the L adapted to engage the outer edge oi the base of the opposite running rail, means for clamping the foot member with respect to the first men- 1 20 tioned running rail, a control signal plate pivoted between the two ears first mentioned, and a signal element on one end of the control signal plate at right angles to the length of said plate, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a control signal device for toy electric railroads comprising in combination a ;base member of generally L-shape, the horizontal arm of the L whereof constitutes a foot member adapted to occupy a position beneath the running rail and the stem of which L is adapted to reach across the track beneath both running rails thereof, an upstanding ear on each end of the foot member, a pair of hook ears on the inner edge of the foot member adapted to engage the inner edge of the base of a running rail, a hook car on the end or the stem of the L adapted to engage the outer edge of the base of the opposite running rail, means for clamping the foot member with respect to the first mentioned run-- ning rail, and a control signal plate pivoted between the two ears first mentioned, substantially as described.

4:. As a new article of manufacture, a control signal device for toy electric railroads comprising in combination a base member including a foot member adapted to occupy a position beneath the running rail, a pair of upstanding ears on the inner edge of said foot member adapted to engage the inner edge of the base of a running rail, means for clamping the foot member with respect to said running rail, a pair of ears on the ends of the foot member, a control signal plate pivoted between said ears, and means for limiting the rotation of the control signal plate, substantially as described.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a con trol signal device for toy electric railroads comprising in combination a base member,

means for-clamping the same beneath a running rail, a control signal plate pivotally mounted on said foot member and adapted to rotate about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally with respect to the rail, means for limiting the rotation of said control signal plate between a vertical and a horizontal position, and a suitable signal element on the control signal plate, substantially as described.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a control signal device for toy electric railroads comprising in combination a base member, means for clamping the same beneath a running rail, and a control signal plate pivotally mounted on said foot member and adapted to rotate about a horizontal axis extendin longitudinally with respect to the rail, substantially as described.

ALBIN FROHNE. 

